Hurricane Helene 2024

Hurricane Helene was a large, deadly, catastrophic, and fast-moving tropical cyclone that was the strongest on record to strike the Big Bend region of Florida. The eighth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Helene developed gradually from a mid-September disturbance in the western Caribbean Sea within a broad area of low pressure known as the Central American gyre. By September 24, the disturbance had consolidated enough to become a tropical storm as it approached the Yucatán Peninsula, receiving the name Helene from the National Hurricane Center. Favourable conditions led to the cyclone's gradual intensification, and it became a hurricane early on September 25. More pronounced and eventually rapid intensification ensued as Helene traversed the Gulf of Mexico the following day, reaching Category 4 intensity on the evening of September 26. Late on September 26, Helene made landfall at peak intensity in the Big Bend region of Florida, near the city of Perry, with maximum sustained winds of 120 knots. Helene would weaken as it moved quickly inland before degenerating to a post-tropical cyclone over Tennessee on September 27. the storm then stalled over the state before dissipating on September 29.  In advance of Helene's expected landfall, the governors of Florida and Georgia declared states of emergency due to the significant impacts expected, including very high storm surge along the coast and hurricane-force gusts as far inland as Atlanta. Helene also caused catastrophic rainfall-triggered flooding, particularly in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Hurricane warnings also extended further inland. As of September 30, a total of 120 deaths have been attributed to Helene.

As boating goes Helene seems more to have affected mostly smallish boats, also because the storm surge which at its peak elevated up to six meters, happened rather in land then by the coastal area.  Above is Maxum 3100 SE which ended aground, with other boats and into a block of of apartments in the big bend region of Florida.

Here is a CandL Marine Corp from Taiwan 38 model from 1981 which ended aground and blocked between trees in Sarasota.

One Dead as Riva Yacht Collides with Fishing Boat in Mallorca

One person is reported to have been killed after a twenty meter Riva sport yacht, titled m/y La Luna under German flag collided with a small outboard powered fishing boat near Cala Bona, to the East of the Balearic Island of Mallorca, on 22:00 of Friday 23 August. The small fishing boat is reported to have had three persons onboard, with the deceased twenty year old Guiem Comamala falling over board with the collision, and then hit by the propellers of the larger yacht causing his death. The Riva was reported helmed by Dennis Viehof, 34 year old German, and son of the owner of the yacht La Luna. According to the testimonies of the skipper and guests, they did not even notice about the collision, and entered harbour in Porto Cristo, planning to leave the following morning, that is until the yacht was arrested and detained.  According to a separate witness, the yacht also nearly hit another boat that night, and described the guest onboard as drunk and partying, something which those onboard have denied. Dennis the skipper of La Luna that night is being investigated by the Guardia Civil for alleged reckless homicide and failing to stop to help the victim.

The Riva in this collision is a 66 Ribelle model as designed by Mauro Micheli and produced since 2018.  The Riva 66 Ribelle came out as a replacement to the 63 Vertigo.

Hurricane Ernesto 2024

Hurricane Ernesto was a moderately strong Atlantic hurricane that caused significant flooding in Puerto Rico before striking Bermuda as a hurricane. The fifth named storm and third hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Ernesto developed from a tropical wave east of the Leeward Islands. The storm moved towards the Antilles, impacting several nations. Ernesto then turned north, where it reached Category 2 strength, before making landfall in Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane on August 17. Ernesto then weakened back to a tropical storm before intensifying back into a hurricane and brushing Atlantic Canada, becoming extratropical by August 20 and dissipating by August 22.  Hurricane Ernesto caused 24 million US dollars in damage and caused three indirect fatalities.

As boating goes Hurricane Ernesto has caused damage to Great Harbour Bay in the British Virgin Islands to some boats as pictured.  The three boats damage in this bay were a Bertram 33 Sport Fisherman which a was TowBoatUS boat, Bertram 38 Mk.III, and an eighties first generation Ocean Yachts 50 Super Sport.

One Man Lost as Boat Capsizes on Chicago Side of Lake Michigan

A nine meter Silverton cabin cruiser with sixteen persons onboard collided with a break-wall first and then capsized and sank.  The accident happened on the Chicago side of Lake Michigan near 31st Street Harbor on 19:30 hours of Friday 26 July.  All but one man made it out of the water, with three of these; one man and two woman taken to a hospital for treatment.   One man is still unaccounted for with searches continuing on Saturday morning.  US Coast Guard assisted the accident, as witnesses reported seeing the boat crashing in the break wall at speed, before hearing screams for help.

The boat in this accident is a Silverton 322 Motor Yacht as produced from 1998 to 2001.  The Silverton 322 Motor Yacht is an all out cabin space searching ruiser, bringing the 372 Motor Yacht and then 352 Motor Yacht unusual wide body in a length of just under ten meters.

One Dead One Missing in Sportfish Tanker Collision in Lydia Channel

One man is reported dead, while a 25 year old is missing following a collision between a sportfish cruiser titled Todo Bien and a commercial tanker named Eagle San Antonio near the Lydia Ann Channel and Port Aransas Pass at 05:30 early morning time of Saturday thirteen July. Two other man who were onboard the sportfish were also injured in the collision, one taken to the Coast Guard station Port Aransas for treatment and another to a hospital. Details on what could have caused the collision are under investigation but a tourist said that she heard four loud horn honking at about the time of the accident.  The search for the missing man was suspended on late Saturday morning following over one hundred squared nautical miles search, and a combined forty hours of research which resulted in no success.

Todo Bien the sportfish in this collision is a 1992 Viking 43 Convertible.  Produced from 1990 to 2002, the Viking 43 Convertible came out as a replacement to the 41 Convertible and was replaced by the 45 Convertible.

Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl was a deadly and destructive Atlantic hurricane that impacted parts of the Caribbean, the Yucatán Peninsula, and the Gulf Coast of the United States, forming on 28 June and dissipating eleven July 2024. It was the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane on record and the second such storm in the month of July, the other being 2005's Hurricane Emily. Beryl was also the strongest hurricane to develop within the Main Development Region of the Atlantic before the month of July. The second named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Beryl broke many meteorological records for the months of June and July, primarily for formation and intensity.  Beryl caused catastrophic damage on Grenada's northern islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique and on several of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' southern islands, such as Union Island and Canouan. In Venezuela, six people were killed and one person missing. Sustained damage was also recorded in the Yucatán, although it was generally limited to trees, power poles, and roofs, as well as some flooding. In the United States, the state of Texas experienced severe flooding and wind damage, with reports of at least 22 dead in the Houston region. Additionally, the outer bands of the hurricane produced a tornado outbreak, with tornadoes confirmed in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, New York, and Ontario. As of July 18, a total of fifty fatalities have been confirmed, and preliminary damage estimates are more than US$6.2 billion.

Boating wise Hurricane Beryl major damage came in Carriacou and Petit Martinque, were it landed on second July, pilling up yachts in the boat filled area of Tyrell Bay and the island of Plaza Santos.

In Texas the damage was minimum though some boats and yachts still suffered to Beryl storm surge, with this Azimut 54 ending sinking on eight July.

One Dead Ten Injured as Sportfish Collides Into Los Alamitos Bay Jetty

One 59 year old man died and ten persons were injured as a fourteen meters in length Cabo sportfish cruiser collided with the Los Alamitos Bay Jetty off Long Beach, Southern California on the 21:20 of Wednesday third July.  Long Beach Fire Department responded to the collision, which left one man dead in the spot, and ten injured, four of which had serious injuries.  The sportfish partly sank after the collision, with a recovery being planned on Friday.  An investigation is ongoing on what caused the incident with speed being reported as the main part of the cause of the collision and sinking with the sportfish reported to be travelling at over thirty knots.

The sportfish cruiser in this collision is a Cabo 48 Flybridge as produced from 2004 up till 2008 to a design of Michael Peters.  The Cabo 48 was born as the 47 Flybridge in 2000 and was based on the 45 Express platform.  The 48 Flybridge was replaced by the Cabo 52 Flybridge in 2009.

Two Teens Killed in Jet-Ski Sea Ray Boat Collision

Two teenage girls riding a jet-ski were killed when they crashed with a seven meter Sea Ray sport cruiser on Lake Marie in Antioch on about 17:15 of Tuesday eighteen June.  According to reports the two girls aged thirteen and sixteen years old were traveling in a northerly direction near the channel to Grass Lake, just north of the Elime Road Peninsula when they collided with a Sea Ray sport Cruiser operated by a 55-year-old man of Antioch and holding three more guests onboard, which was traveling westbound.  Both teens were reported of wearing life vests, and were knocked unconscious and thrown into the water with the impact from the collision.  The passengers aboard the sport cruiser collected the girls after the collision and were given aid then transported to shore and taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, with both pronounced deceased after arriving.  The crash is now under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and Illinois Conservation Police.

The Sea Ray boat in this collision is a 230 Cuddy Cabin as produced in around the mid to late eighties.

Boca Chita Boat Yacht Collision Kills Two

A collision between a fifteen meter Azimut sport yacht and a five meter Key West open boat in South Biscayne Bay, Boca Chita Key, Miami-Dade County on 18:45 hours of Sunday 21 April killed two men.  The reason of the accident and who struck who are not reported, with both vessels having seven passengers onboard when the boats collided into each other.  The operator and a passenger of the small Key West boat where emergency transported to a hospital, and ultimately did not make it and died.  The Azimut as the picture above shows had damage on its starboard bow area, with the small Key West boat damaged on its port-side to aft.  Florida Fish and Wildlife are investigating the accident.  

The Azimut sport yacht in this collision is an Atlantis 51 model, as released in 2018 to a project of Neo Design of Salvetti and Biaggi.  Still in production today, the Azimut Atlantis 51 replaced the Atlantis 50 after five years of production.

Wicked Tuna Captain Dies in Boating Accident

Captain Charlie Griffin of the Wicked Tuna TV series fame died during a delivery of a ten meter sportfish boat titled J&E's Goodrun, which went missing on the evening of Sunday third March.  Another 35 year old person who was crew onboard is also missing, while Griff's dog was also found dead.  The Express Sportfish departed Virginia Beach direction to Pirate's Cove Marina in Manteo for repairs.  At 23:35 hours the Coast Guard received the call for two missing boaters, with the boat found two nautical miles South of Oregon Inlet on the morning of March fourth, beached and with it's tower detached and lying in-front of the boat.  The causes of the accident are not reported, with the sea being moderate rough with up to two meter wave height, and winds blowing Force Four Beaufort on that Sunday.  The missing 35 year old Chad Dunn was not found, after the Coast Guard dropped out its search operation after 41 hours, and four hundred miles of area investigated.

Charlie Griffin appeared from Season Two to Five of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, becoming a fan favorite as he captained the Reels of Fortune, and winning Season Four of the famous TV show.

J&E's Goodrun the sportfish express in this accident is a Scopinich 35 Express, from 2000.  Build of fiberglass the Scopinich 35 Express is designed by Joe Scopinich, debuting in 1997 it offers accommodation for two, and powered by twin 355hp Cat engines reaches top speeds of 35 knots.  Still produced today the 35 Express is Scopinich only made model with Paul Scopinich debuting in 1983 as a fighting chair producer and then as custom boat accessory manufacturer, what is still his main business today.

Hurricane Otis Goes Apocalyptic in Acapulco

Hurricane Otis made an apocalyptic arrival in Acapulco on Wednesday 25 October, devastating the waterfront of the Acapulco Yacht Club in the North-West of the bay.  Otis was a compact and so far the most powerful Tropical storm category five hurricane of the 2023 Pacific Season reaching speeds up to 143 knots on the morning of October 25. Forming on the 22nd November, and reaching its peak on the 04:00 hours of October 25, Otis hit and made landfall in Isla de la Roqueta, to the South of Acapulco, killing 49 people, with 57 still missing, and is estimated to have made seventeen billion US dollars in damages.     

Scene from the North part of the of Acapulco Yacht Club, you can see an Azimut 54, and a Sunseeker Predator 63 Open to the left corner, along with a few Sea Rays.

Here is the South side is a Ferretti 800, followed by a Sunseeker Predator 57, a mid nineties Horizon Elegance 82, and an Azimut 100 Jumbo.

A before and after Hurricane Otis view of Acapulco Bay.  Possibly one of the biggest single areas destructions, and devastations ever seen.

Hurricane Norma 2023

Norma is the ninth hurricane of the Pacific 2023 season.  Forming from a low pressure appearing on the fifteen October to the Southern Coast of Mexico, which on the seventeen became a Tropical storm, and becoming a Hurricane the morning after of the eighteen. For the next 24 hours Norma will increase speeds from sixty to 112 knots becoming a category four Hurricane and causing chaos in the Southern Western Coast of Mexico.  Norma started to weaken on October 20, but made a second round of seventy knots winds on the 21st doing damage to the West-North-West of Cabo San Lucas, with a third round on the 23rd at Sinaloa near El Dorado.  After this Norma became a remnant low pressure.  

Hurricane Norma has caused major damage to La Paz and Marina Cortez to the East of Baja California Sur, with about fifty boats reported lost or damaged.  Above is a photo screen from one of the videos circulating on social media showing the damage to La Paz marina.  This video showed a few catamarans and sail yachts sank, with the above motor yacht looking like a Hampton 490 Pilothouse semi-sank, and other motor yachts showing damage to the bathing platforms and hull sides.  

A video on YouTube by Your Saltwater Guide also showed a Cantieri di Pisa Akhir 30 S which was taken aground by the storms surge power.

While Alan Flores Ramos on Twitter showed the 2021 Ferretti Custom Line Navetta 33, hull #16 m/y Ricacha mostly sank vertically with its port side anchor out.  It is reported on some sources that Ricacha sought refuge in La Paz only for it to sustain damage in a collision and then sink.  The crew were rescued, with an operation to salvage Ricacha being underway.

Storm Babet

Storm Babet has made havoc in Britain, northern Germany and southern Scandinavia, with powerful winds, heavy rain and storm surges that caused floods, power outages, evacuations and disrupted flights, railway service and ferry lines.  Storm Babet made landfall on Thursday nineteen October, first arriving in the northern part of the United Kingdom, and continued making havoc in North Germany and Southern Scandinavia up till Saturday 21st October.  Gale-force winds whipped up storm surges on the southern shores of the Baltic Sea, breaking through flood defences in coastal areas in Denmark and northern Germany. In Flensburg, a German city just south of the border with Denmark, water levels rose more than two meters to the highest level recorded in a century.  

Forming on the fifteen October Storm Babet also called Storm Viktor in Germany, is an extratropical cyclone which affected Northern and Western Europe, reaching speeds up to one hundred knots, and has caused nine fatalities.  

So far we know that Storm Babet caused damage in the following German yacht marinas; Olympic port of Schilksee in Kiel, Damp, north of Eckernförde, and Wassersleben Marina in Harrislee near Flansbee causing damage to over 200 boats.  The storm in these harbours was caused on Friday twentieth October.

Hurricane Idalia

Hurricane Idalia started to form on the 26th August from a low pressure in Central America and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.  Idalia touched briefly category four on thirtieth August, when it reached the Big Bend region of Florida, and later become a category three as it crossed to South East Georgia.  Hurricane Idalia later pushed into the Carolinas as it became a Tropical Storm.  Idalia reached 110 knots of wind speed as it made landfall in Florida although it biggest damage came from the storm surge, with water level rising by over two meters.  Since August 31 Idalia has dissipated in the Atlantic, near the Bermuda's.   Idalia was the third hurricane, second major one, and the tenth storm of 2023.

Idalia caused damage to tens of boats and yachts mostly from the storm surge.  Videos on social media showed drifting boats in the Florida canals, while some home owners ended with boats in the court yard in the aftermath of Idalia's storm surge.

Hawaii Firestorm

On the eight August the Hawaii Firestorm reached the Lahaina Small boat harbour, devastating most of the 99 boats in the marina with only thirteen boats and there fortunate pier escaping the fire.  The Hawaii Firestorm formed in early August, predominantly reaching Maui, and doing extensive damage to the North West coast and the coastal town of Lahaina, killing 98 persons with 31 people still missing.  The Hawaii Firestorm was contained on the eleventh August, destroying about 2200 buildings in Lahaina alone, and causing over six billion US dollars in three days.  The Hawaii Firestorm was formed by dry gusty conditions created by a strong high pressure to the North of Hawaii and Hurricane Dora to the South.

Lahiana small boat harbour is located to the North-West of the Island of Maui, to the North of Hawaii and second in size of the Hawaii Island archipelago; which features eight major volcanic islands and thirteen minor islets on the North Pacific Ocean spread in 1,200 nautical miles.  Previously called Sandwich Islands. the Hawaii Islands are a state of the United States of America with a distance of just over 1,700 nautical miles from the closest harbour in California.

Two Killed Three Injured in Long Beach Boat Fire

A fire involving a ten metre sport cruiser at 200 Block of Marina Drive in Long Beach, Alamitos Bay in California on Saturday sixth August at around 17:00 hours local time killed two woman, and injured three persons.  The boat was reported as just finishing to refuel when it exploded.  Long Beach fire fighters with help from Orange County fire Authority extinguished the blaze. The case of the fire and explosion is under investigation by Long Beach Fire Department.

The sport cruiser in this fire is a Regal 3760 Commodore produced from 2007 to 2009.  The 3760 Commodore is an evolution of the 3560, recognizable by the radar arch with hard-top and offered an open plan accommodation for four to six persons, and is standard powered by twin 320hp Mercruiser petrol gas engines on shafts.  The 3760 was replaced by the Regal 35 Sports Coupe in 2011.

Amalfi Coast Collision Leaves One Woman Dead

A collision in the Gulf of Furore, to North of the Amalfi Coast between a seven meter traditional cruiser with five persons onboard and the 45 meter touristic sailing vessel Tortuga with eighty persons onboard, on the afternoon about 17:45 hours of Thursday third August left one US American 45 year old woman dead.  The dynamics of the accident are still under investigation with video on social media and Italian press showing the small cruiser colliding with the bow of the large sailing vessel, and the former having extensive damage to its starboard side and partly sinking.  The deceased woman, entrepreneur Adrienne Vaughan was onboard the small cruiser, when with the impact of the collision fell in the water and ended between the propellers. Also injured her husband and the thirty year old skipper of the small cruiser, and miraculously uninjured the two twelve and eight year old kids of the couple. The woman was immediately transported to Amalfi and taken to Castiglione di Ravello intensive care unit with helicopter to save her life, unfortunately with no success.  The thirty year old skipper of the seven meter cruiser was found to be on the effects of alcohol and drugs.  Both boats, the partly sank seven meter cruiser and 45 meter sailing vessel were detained and arrested by the Italian Guardia Costiera. 

The traditional cruiser in this collision is an Apreamare 750 Semicabinato.  Produced from 2000 to 2006 the Apreamare 750 was available in three versions; Open, Semicabinato, and Cabinato, and is powered by twin VM 160hp on direct line shaft propulsion for speeds up to 28 knots.  The 750 was a replacement to the nineties produced Smeraldo 7, and was replaced by the Apreamare 28 in 2006.

Tortuga the other sailing vessel in this collision is a two masted 40 meter steel build by Cantieri Ortona in 1993 and powered by twin Aifo 460hp. Tortuga is used for coastal cruises, weddings, private parties, and company events around the Naples sea area with a maximum capacity of to eighty persons.

Princess Yacht Fire in Florida Kills One Woman

 

A 21 meter Princess motor yacht went on fire while berthed at Perry Hotel and Marina Key West, Stock Island Florida on 00:10 hours of Wednesday July 26.  The fire is believed to have left one 51 year old woman and her dog dead, with 59 year old husband and son badly injured.  The family was visiting the Florida Keys for the lobster mini season. The yacht was already engulfed in flames when Monroe County Fire Rescue arrived in the scene, taking them three hours to extinguish the fire.  According to reports the presumed dead woman returned back to the boat to rescue her dog, with husband and son also following her and getting injured in the process.  Husband and son where airlifted for treatment to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.  Another family was on the boat but suffered no injuries.  The Princess motor yacht sank, and is a total loss.  Some unconfirmed reports are saying that the cause of fire is from Lithium batteries.

The Princess yacht in this fire is a 21M model produced from 2004 to 10. Designed as all Princess from the early eighties till today by Bernard Olesinski the Princess 21M offered a four double cabins interior with a crew cabin for two and is powered by Man 1050hp or optional 1300hp engines.  The Princess 21M was replaced by the 72 MY in 2010. 

Yacht Fire in La Paz Mexico Kills One Person, Injures Three

A fire onboard a 23 meter motor yacht at Puerta Cortes Tourist Complex, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico on 07:00 hours of Monday 24th July killed one person and injured three more, with the fire also jumping and partially burning another smaller fourteen meter Grand Banks explorer cruiser.  The fire was reported starting in the engine room of the 23 meter motor yacht, as crew where doing some work.  Three teams where dispatched to control the fire; Heroic La Paz Fire Department, La Paz Municipal Traffic and Security Directorate, and Municipal Civil Protection.  The person which was identified dead on the scene ended trapped in the engine room with the fire, while three more persons had injuries with a 37 year old also suffering extensive third grade burns.  The big 23 meter yacht eventually burned totally and became a total loss, while the smaller fourteen meter had its fire controlled, although it also received extensive damage to its bow area.

The 23 meter motor yacht in this fire is a Numarine 78 Flybridge as produced from 2008 to 2017 designed by Can Yalman and Tommaso Spadolini.  The smaller explorer cruiser is a Grand Banks 49 Classic as produced from 1980 to 99, with over 120 units sold.

One Man Killed as Sport Cruiser Collides Into Trawler Near Sibenik

A collision in the Sibenik region, Croatia between a sport cruiser of twelve meters in length titled m/y AE under Croatian flag and a fishing vessel titled Masun killed one man.  The fatal accident happened on the late afternoon evening of Monday seventeen July, as the sport cruiser with four persons onboard is reported to have collided with the fishing vessel in a cruising speed of over twenty knots, hitting the fishing vessel in its starboard side and killing a 61 year old with the impact.  The 61 year old was reported to be the chef onboard the fishing vessel, who at the time of the collision had nine persons onboard.  The sport cruiser sank with the collision in a depth of 85 meters.  The 51 year old helmsman of AE was brought before the detention supervisor of the Sibenik-Knin Police Department on suspicion of committing the crime and endangering seagoing navigation, and a criminal complaint was also filed with the County State Prosecutor's Office in Šibenik.

The sport cruiser in this collision and sinking is a Marquis 420 Sports Coupe, as designed by Nuvolari Lenard and produced from 2008 up to 12.  Marquis was a brand of Genmar, Carver Group with more modern European looks founded in 2004.